NILES Dinner to support Mahoning River Consortium

The guest speaker is a big name in adventure racing. NILES -- Outback Gear will host a dinner Aug. 26 to support the Mahoning River Consortium. Michael Tobin, world champion adventure racer, will speak. The benefit dinner is in conjunction with a cleanup of the Mahoning River. The Army Corps of Engineers has been commissioned to conduct a feasibility study from which a cleanup plan will be developed. The dinner starts at 6:30 p.m. at Great American Steak Out in Niles. Tickets are $35 each at the door, but in advance, they are $50 for two. All proceeds go to support the Mahoning River Consortium. Call Outback Gear at (330) 505-2267. Tobin has a list of championships, among them the Eco-Challenge in New Zealand in 2001 and the Suburu Primal Quest expedition adventure race in July in Telluride, Colo. Relatively new to adventure racing, Tobin made his name in the duathlon circuit, where he has won 15 international Powermans and the series title twice. Other achievements He has set numerous hill-climbing records, won the Pikes Peak ascent in Colorado and has excelled in 10K and marathon events around the country. Tobin combined cycling with his running to win the Coors Light Duathlon Series in 1991. He then added mountain biking, raced professionally, and won six Wild Rockies Mountain Bike titles. In 1999, he won the Xterra America Tour with nine victories. In 2000, he added to his 16 Xterra victories by winning the series title and the Xterra World Championships. Tobin is a member of Team GoLite, an elite adventure racing team sponsored by one of Outback Gear's key manufacturers, GoLite, a Colorado-based company that specializes in lightweight gear for outdoor enthusiasts.